Tuberculous effusive-constrictive pericarditis

Abstract

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious disease in developing countries. Tuberculous pericarditis is a rare but life-threatening condition and may lead to cardiac tamponade and constrictive pericarditis. Case Presentation: An 82-year-old man was referred for cardiac consultation. He was suffering from dyspnea, malaise, weight loss, night sweat, and fever for four months duration. Discussion: Transthoracic echocardiography disclosed massive pericardial effusion, respiratory variation in mitral and tricuspid inflow E velocity, increased diastolic flow reversal with expiration in the hepatic vein, septum deviation in inspiration toward the left ventricle (LV), preserved LV function, and inferior vena caval (IVC) dilation without any collapse in inspiration. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed a large amount of pericardial effusion and bilateral pleural effusion.